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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
10-07-2021, 10:23 AM
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It looks like you aren't the target market for this camera. Rather than nay saying it, why not politely bow out of the thread and let the people who are in the market for it discuss it without the verbal pollution?
---------- Post added Oct 7th, 2021 at 11:43 AM ----------
You could take a few moments and find out if you were interested in knowing. I'm sure that there are pictures of a GRIII along with a downloadable owners manual available.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
09-26-2019, 06:58 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-01-2019, 03:20 AM
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This year I was able to go to CP+ on the Friday rather than the Saturday. I was hoping that a weekday would make it easier to get around and see things. It was, but still got busy after midday. The nature of the crowd is a bit different on the Friday. There seemed to be more pros, industry people and elderly people. On the other hand there were fewer couples and casual visitors in general. I guess it is what you would expect of a weekday.
The Ricoh Imaging Booth
The Ricoh booth was the same size and position as the previous year, but the layout was different. The space was divided into three zones with the GR at the front, Theta in the middle and Pentax at the back. There stage area and a small gallery behind it. Overall there was quite a lot to see. You’ve probably seen the revised roadmaps and 85mm mock-up already. The 85mm had a black plastic disk where the glass should be, but a staff member told me this is normal procedure because they don’t want people spying on the optical formula. The booth was busy the whole time I was there.
GR III
The first thing I did was to queue up for a bit and try out the GR III. As a user of the very first GR Digital model, I’m very happy about the smaller dimensions than the GR II. Because it has more weight in it, it has a better feeling of solidity. There is still a huge amount of customisation available. The touch screen is very responsive, and I was pleased to find that you can use the screen one handed with your thumb without too much difficulty - no need to adjust your grip. One aspect I had not heard mentioned before was manual focus. I found this easier and more intuitive now, because the circular wheel around the D-pad can be used for this purpose. It’s still a bit fiddly, but better than up/down buttons. Overall the GR III was every bit as good as I’d hoped for and I’m going to buy one.
KP Custom Model
So far the coverage of this seems completely to have missed the point. These two guys are proposing the idea of a kind of a sub-brand offering bespoke customisation. The KP they are showing is just an illustration of this idea. They’ve even made up a logo for the brand. They are experimenting with the kind of tweaks and tuning that car/bike enthusiasts do to soup up their machines. They realize these will never be mass produced as mainstream cameras, but they are trying to gauge interest. That KP in his hand has a cool replacement mount made of some shiny grey carbon material. It was quite interesting. They were very keen to speak English to me, and seemed to love the fact I was still using a K-01.
Theta Z1
While the whole booth was busy, this part seemed to be busiest, perhaps because it was so small. They had small explanatory presentations and some deconstructed Z1s. It’s really impressive how they use prisms to package so small. The little OLED screen looks cool too. I’d like to see one on a K-mount camera in future.
Pentax 100-year Anniversary
Given that most of the recent releases have been Ricoh products, Pentax was a bit overshadowed by the GR II and the Z1 this time, but they did have reasonable amount of space, with a counter to try out the new lenses. A number of the presentations focused on Pentax and the new lenses in particular. There was also promotion for Pentax 100. Between presentations they were showing was a nice video on the screen with people holding a selection of Pentax cameras over the years. The images changing timed to drum beats. It was bright and cheerful and I hope they make it available online soon. They said they are not planning a specific anniversary model. Their new models will be forward looking, not commemorative. For the celebrations, there will be events around the world in the months leading up to the actual date in November.
Other manufacturers
I looked round all the other manufacturers. The tone of their stands were much the same as previous years (bland corporate), and they are all pretty much the same as each other. Now that all the companies are primarily pushing mirrorless mounts, it feels like they are coming out with near-identical systems. The only thing that differentiates them is FPS, bitrates and so on. The galleries show that all of these cameras are capable of taking fantastic images to be displayed at any reasonable size. So what sets anyone apart now? It seems to me that Ricoh/Pentax is really the only company that is making cameras that feel different to use. As Pentaxians, I think it’s time to stop wishing that Pentax would emulate the other makers and appreciate Ricoh/Pentax for its own strengths.
From my own perspective it was quite a good CP+. I‘m totally positive about the changes to the GR III. Also a new standard zoom for APS-C is something I would potentially be very interested in, so I'm glad it was added to the roadmap. And most of all, I think both Ricoh and Pentax remain unique brands that I can happily associate with.
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Forum: General Photography
02-08-2019, 06:15 PM
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Peak. Design.
Next question?
@Larrymc I happily throw my 645Z around on my PD sling, even while trail running. Those little plastic lugs are rock solid, and the strings could tow a car.
I also would not have been without them (in conjunction with PD's excellent Capture Clips) in Antarctica:
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Forum: General Photography
02-08-2019, 07:29 PM
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Sandy, I'm sorry but I am going to have to report you to the SPCPC (Society for the prevention of cruelty to Pentax cameras)!!!;):D That poor little KP looks a mess!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-27-2018, 04:03 PM
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Indeed, Ricoh wisely abandoned P&S several years ago.
So, what could it be.....
Pessimistic: A line of golf shirts, mouse pads and insulated thermoses all emblazoned with the Pentax logo.
Cautiously Realistic: DFA 85
Enduringly Hopeful: Flagship APS-C and/or 645
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-24-2018, 07:55 PM
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Well, the honkin' big new Pentax fifty arrived today, so I spent several hours trying it out. Yes, it is heavy. In fact it's heavy enough that at first I had second thoughts. I was thinking they should call it the Jesus lens because that's what I say when I pick up the camera now. But after a day shooting I really became used to it and had a good time. It's a keeper.
If you click on any of the following images you will go to smugmug where you can see the full sized shot and see exif. I've done some contrast and shadow and exposure adjustments on many, but no color adjustments. Sharpening is Lightroom default. Shot raw with the K1.
Seems to be ideal for people who like to take flower photos. Focuses much closer than most of my older lenses...
Contrast is very high, more than the limiteds. I found myself lowering contrast and boosting shadows more than normal. Should be a great rainy day low contrast light lens.
It passed the stuff on a shelf test...
Cats proved no challenge to this lens as well...
I really like the colors. Fairly neutral but rich, that's my impression...
After I took this boring shot the lady with the cane waited for me, then shook her cane at me and said "I really don't like those things." It's not a subtle lens. You will be noticed. Could be a hostility magnet in some cases if used without care...
But I think I'm going to keep using it for city shots because I like the color and contrast so much...
A self portrait....
It totally failed the hipster in a cafe test. Downright embarrassing next to my iced coffee.
More lovely color...
Heavy crops of course are no problem, provided you focus properly, etc...
Perfect for fields of flowers...
Surprisingly decent bug lens in a pinch. This is a crop, but it does focus much closer than most of my older lenses. My Tamron 28-70 2.8 can get a little tighter, I think.
Contrast is so high that on bright days you might find yourself with too many dark shadows and want to use a less contrasty lens. I had to boost the shadows way up in this shot...
Pretty colors...
A flare test. After I boosted the shadows way up I noticed some on the bottom left. Doesn't look to be an issue...
As for ultimate resolution it's hard to say. I think it's tuned more for contrast and microcontrast. The 43 limited might actually be a tad sharper right in the middle, but this lens is more even across the frame...
Still just love the colors...
These two have no curve or shadow adjustments so you can see the contrast....
Action shots that worked, but there were plenty that didn't. It's not a fast focusing lens. Medium, I would say. And silent.
So, in conclusion, it isn't a lens for everyone, but I think I'm going to use it a lot.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-26-2018, 05:34 AM
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
07-01-2018, 06:02 PM
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I don't own a GR, so can't speak for its LCD screen. However, if it's anything like the Q-Series, a viewfinder
can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight. Obviously, you're losing all the technical information you'd
get from the LCD, but at least you can compose with a sharp, crisp, contrasty image rather than a washed out
screen.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
06-07-2018, 05:50 PM
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Just wanted to say thank you to all who contribute to this site and community. I love shooting with Pentax cameras and glass. You all make it easy to find the best bang for the buck, and to use that equipment to its fullest extent.
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Forum: Pentax Q
01-17-2018, 04:56 AM
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Went to Redondo Beach Pier over the weekend with my Q-S1 (and the 01 and 06).
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Forum: Pentax Q
01-08-2018, 12:44 PM
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Beautiful automnal colours, the brown of the leaves and the brown of the feathers ; You should erase the 2 spikes behind the eyes imho ;)
 IMGP7661-003 by phoenix jc, sur Flickr
Q7 + 02
Le Crotoy, 1600 iso
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Forum: Pentax KP
03-17-2018, 10:28 AM
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This comment echos complaints from new K-3 owners when the 24Mpx sensor first became available. Those migrating from 16Mpx Pentax bodies were often not happy with image quality (sharpness mostly) and felt that the camera design was at fault. The standard response was that the extra sensor resolution makes greater demand on both optics and technique. If a user persisted that both lenses and technique were flawless, a common suggestion was to down-sample the 24Mpx image to 16Mpx and see if it looks better.
To elaborate:- Attention to focus will pay a quality dividend
- Use a tripod when quality is a concern and when on-tripod use the delay timer or a remote shutter release
- Don't expect a flimsy tripod to hold the camera steady
- Don't expect the SR feature to make up for shaky hands
- Be aware of shutter speed and aperture. Avoid slow speeds and shooting wide open.
- Lenses that used to be good enough at 16Mpx may not deliver adequately at 24Mpx
If those instructions sound a lot like old school photography, that is because they are old school. Nothing has changed where critical work is concerned.
If one remains unconvinced, a trial at a lower resolution may be worth considering. This may be most directly done one of two ways: 1) By changing the capture settings to JPEG Recorded Pixels = "M" (14Mpx), or 2) by resizing a series of full-resolution (6016px x 4000px) captures to match that of the K-30 (4928px x 3264px) using the software tool of choice. If the lower resolution shots are more acceptable, the extra resolution is the cause of the discontent.
Steve
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-04-2018, 03:24 AM
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IMHO
and based on my personal experience
the " best " equipment
can be limited by the knowledge of the photographer
and the " worse " equipment
can be enhanced by the knowledge of the photographer
subject to the ability of the photographer to utilize his/her knowledge
YMMV
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-20-2018, 08:34 AM
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The bigger issue is that it's not something fixed by software. It requires an accelerometer and gryosensor with higher resolution and lower drift specification to track camera shake over at least 3/4 second.
SR for a PS needs to be at least twice as good as SR for Bayer sensor camera because PS doubles the resolution in the red and blue channels. Worse, uncorrected shake during PS creates nasty checkerboard color artifacts (image ruined!) but only adds a little blur to a single-shot image (IQ degrades gracefully).
The point is that the K-1ii needs a much much higher-spec gyro-sensor and accelerometer than the K-1 does.
P.S. K3 pixel size are NOT almost half of K1. K-3 pixels are 3.88 µm. K-1 pixels are 4.78 µm. There's only a 23% difference.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-20-2018, 08:05 AM
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You're new around here, ain't you :hmm:
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-20-2018, 08:02 AM
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People amaze me. Just a month ago my K-1 was 100% awesomeness. Now, waaahhhhh. I want the FW Update. Waaahhhh. It isn’t a good enough upgrade. Waaahhhh. Where’s my K-3 lll?
Boo Hoo Hoo.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-20-2018, 07:16 AM
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They wouldn't build a new camera if they could..Would they? :hmm:
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-20-2018, 07:09 AM
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Doing PS+SR almost certainly needs much better sensors than single-shot SR does because of the increased stabilization time and greater sensitivity to inaccuracy.
1) Duration of stabilization:
The K-1's SR system sensors only needs to be accurate for 1 shutter speed time.
The K-1ii's SR+PS system sensors needs to be sufficiently accurate for period of 4 shutter speed times plus about 3/4 second of sensor data read-out.
2) Accuracy: Also, SR+PS is a lot less forgiving of error than plain single-shot SR.
During single-shot SR, uncorrected shifts of up to a pixel merely create slight blurring of the image. A serious pixel peeper might be disappointed but the image is not ruined.
But for PS, uncorrected errors of even half a pixel on any of the four shots creates very obnoxious checkerboard color artifacts on all the edges in the scene.
The point is the K-1ii needs double the sensor accuracy over more than four times the duration (more than 8X better overall) than the K-1 does.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-20-2018, 05:45 AM
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We've had numerous people complaining that the K-1II leaked specs are unimpressive, and too close to the original K-1. Yet here's a potentially impressive new feature and we now want Pentax to retro-fit it to the K-1, making the two models even closer in specification? :hmm:
K-1 owners knew the functionality they were buying, and - depending on when they bought their cameras - they've already had up to two years to enjoy that functionality. They didn't buy a feature upgrade plan.
For the very few that really need and can't do without this new feature, they can upgrade.
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Forum: Pentax Q
05-01-2017, 04:17 PM
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You know you are taking too many photos of the cat when she facepalms at the mere sight of a camera :D
Tiffany Facepalm-1 by Robert Williams, on Flickr
Pentax Q7 with 06 lens
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-12-2017, 07:57 PM
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Whether it's Kyoto Protocol (energy efficient camera), North Korea (ultra oppressive camera), Katy Perry (pop hit camera that doesn't write its own lenses) or Kim Possible, I'm sure it'll be something special.
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Forum: Pentax Q
12-13-2016, 07:05 AM
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Forum: Pentax Q
12-15-2016, 03:35 PM
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Thanks :)
---------- Post added 12-16-2016 at 06:38 AM ----------
20161112-IMGP5151 by jenkwang, on Flickr
Q7+fisheye
'Selfie' with the fisheye.
I do think Pentax never pushed on the 'adventure' segment with the Q and missed the boat.
Its small enough to be mounted and easily carried around otherwise, and it can change to 'serious image capture mode' with the wide range of lenses.
How I wish that 08 lens will have a closeout price for me to get one :D
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Forum: Pentax Q
12-22-2016, 11:33 AM
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For tonight's little holiday get together.
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